THE AVIOR GROUP, a US company specialising in relief-charter operations in Africa, is expanding into its home market. The Miami-based concern hopes to build up a chain of "a dozen" fixed-base operators (FBOs) and wants to acquire a manufacturing capability to support its growing maintenance business.
Avior has completed a $1.6 million investment in Avtech, an FBO at McCollum Airport near Atlanta, Georgia, which it acquired in 1995. The company has relocated two aircraft from Africa to Avtech, a Cessna Citation II and Raytheon Beech King Air, and launched charter operations. As part of the move, almost $340,000-worth of Cessna Caravan, Citation and King Air parts were brought back from Africa and are now being marketed through Miami-based subsidiary Avior Technologies.
Avior says that it is looking at expanding Avtech further, to accommodate increasing maintenance work, while the search has begun for additional FBOs. The company is also negotiating to buy several other operations, including a seat manufacturer, landing-gear re-manufacturer and avionics- and accessory-overhaul shops, so as to expand the services it can offer.
The privately held company is focusing its efforts on corporate and commuter operators, although it has a maintenance contract with a South American airline which operates McDonnell Douglas MD-80s. Avior is also looking to expand operations in Africa, where it has four aircraft based.
Source: Flight International
